Description
Grilled Mexican Street Corn, also known as Elote, is a vibrant and flavorful dish featuring sweet corn grilled to smoky perfection and coated with a zesty, creamy sauce made from Mexican crema, mayonnaise, lime, garlic, and chipotle pepper. Topped with crumbled cotija cheese and fresh cilantro, this traditional Mexican street food is perfect for summer barbecues or as a delicious side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Corn
- 6 to 8 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed
Sauce
- 1/2 cup Mexican crema, or sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, or to taste
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest, from 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, from 1 lime
Toppings & Garnish
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- Lime wedges, to serve
Instructions
- Prepare the grill: Heat a gas or charcoal grill to 400°F. Once hot, clean the grates thoroughly to ensure even grilling.
- Make the sauce: In a bowl, whisk together Mexican crema, mayonnaise, chopped cilantro, minced garlic, ground chipotle pepper, lime zest, and lime juice. Taste the mixture and season lightly with salt if needed, keeping in mind the saltiness of crema and cotija cheese. Set aside.
- Grill the corn: Place the husked corn directly on the grill grates. Grill each ear for about 3 minutes without moving, allowing kernels to char and turn golden brown. Rotate the corn until all sides are evenly browned, totaling approximately 10 minutes.
- Coat corn with sauce: Remove the grilled corn from the grill and immediately brush or spoon the prepared crema mixture evenly over each ear.
- Add cheese and serve: Sprinkle crumbled cotija cheese generously over the sauced corn. Optionally, add a pinch more ground chipotle pepper for extra heat. Serve hot with lime wedges on the side for squeezing.
Notes
- Use Mexican crema for authentic flavor, but sour cream is a good substitute if unavailable.
- Adjust chipotle pepper quantity based on your spice preference.
- The corn is best served immediately after grilling for optimal flavor and texture.
- To avoid excess saltiness, add salt sparingly since crema and cotija cheese contribute salt naturally.
- If you don’t have a grill, you can char the corn on a stovetop grill pan or broil it in the oven.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ear
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
